Method of making shoes and soles for use in such methods



April 1929- w. R. BARCLAY El AL 1,708,962

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES AND SOLES FOR USE IN SUCH METHODS Filed Feb. 27. 1928 VE/V T0551 Patented Apr. 16, 1929. i

WILLIAM RODERICK BARCLAY AND FRED-RICKS, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO "UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORA'IIION, OF

PORATION OF NEW JERSEY. v

i METHOD or MAKING snoEs AND Application filed February 27, 1928, Serial No This invention relates to improvements in methods of making shoes and to soles for use in practicing such methods.

In making shoes to which wood heels are 5 to be attached, it is necessary to prepare-the heel-seat portion of thesole for the reception of the heel. If the heel is to be a Louis heel, the rear end of the sole is split prior to its attachment to a shoeaapd after the sole has been attached to the shoe the flap is raised and the remainder of the sole fitted to receive the heel-seat of the heel by reducing the length and width of the rear end of the sole so that it comprises a tongue conforming substantially in shape to the cupped heel-seat A surface of the wood heel. Itis also desirable, in some instances, to form at each side of the tongue a tapering tab, beneath which tabs the forwardly extending base portion of the heel may be placed, the tabs lying against the breast surface of the heel at its sides and serving to locate the heel and improve the security of its attachment. When the breast flap is secured to the breast face of the heel and over the tabs, the symmetry of its breast contour is also improved. I

Prior to this invention, it has been impracticable to treat by a leveling operatlon the heel-seat portion of a sole which, prior to m its attachment to the shoe, has been fitted for the reception of a Louis heel, because such leveling operation would result in damage to the delicate breast flap and the fitted portions of the rear end of the sole. The levelingop- 5 eration, which it is desirable to perform upon the attached portion of the sole, 1s severe in its action upon the material of the shoe bottom and, if applied to the fitted heel-seat portion of a sole, is likely to damage, by excessive pressure, the delicate breast flap and the fitted portion of the rear end of the sole WhlCh is of small area. On the other hand, if the leveling operation is terminated short of the heel-seat the shank portions of the solewill not be given the close edge effect particularly desirable in fine shoemaking and the heel-seat will receive no shaping and compacting pres sure. We have discovered a method by the practice of which it is practicable to level a shoe, including the heel-seat portion, after the heel seat portion has been fitted to recelve a wood heel. This method consists in imparting to the heel-seat portion of the sole, before it is lit) PATERRLSON, NEW JERSEY, A coa- SQLES FOR USE IN SUCH MEIHODS.

Q2573, and in Great Britain March 28, 1927.

incorporated in the shoe, the configuration desired in the completely fitted heel-seat but without detaching and removing the material of the trimming, then attaching the sole to theshoe, carrying out the leveling. operation of the sole, includingthe heel-seat and subsequently exposing the completely seat of the sole by removing the trimming material previously'partly detached but remain-, ing in its original position on the sole.

In some cases Where it is desirable to employ tapering tabs at the breast line of the heel-seat, we have found it desirable first to provide in the rear end of the solo a tongue and a marginal trimming by severin the rear end of the sole on a curved line defining said marginal trimming and then simule taneously to form the tabs and partially detach the marginal trimming b oblique cuts fitted heelextending transversely from t e outer margin of the sole toward the root of the tongue, readily severable connections being left between the sole and the marginal trimming. The sole attaching and leveling operations are then performed with the trimming .still occupying its original position on the sole.

, Finally, the trimming is completely detached and removed, and the tongue an tapering tabs exposed ready for the attachment of a heel to the shoe. I i

In another aspect, the invention comprises a sole having its heel-seat portion fitted for conformity to a wood heel and having the portions to be removed still attached to the sole by readily seve'rable connections, by the destruction of which and the removal ofthe trimming the sole is in condition to receive a wood heel. v p

The various steps of our novel method will be apparent from the following description of one manner of practicing it, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a sole suitably prepared for use in carrying out the method; I

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the leveling operation;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the heel-seat portion of a shoe with the trimming removed after the leveling operation; and,

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the heelseat portion of shoe with a heel attached.-

In practicing the methodof our invention, the heel-seat fitting of the sole is carried out as a stock fitting operation upon the sole before the latter is incorporated in the shoe. The preparation of the sole in this manner may be done by hand or by any suitable ma- 5 chine such, for example, as that shown in our copending; pplication, Serial No. 257,421,

filed February 27, 1928.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a sole is shown as. having the flap or leaf 12 split from its grain surface, the flap extending the full width of the heel-seat portion of c the sole and to a point somewhat in advance of the breast linethereof. In the portion of the sole benea the flap 12, a reduced tongue 14 is outlin d by a horseshoe-shaped I cut inclined outwardly so as to form an upwardly tapering marginal wall for the tongue. The material set off in this cutting operation comprises a horseshoe-shaped trimming 16 and this is not disturbed but retained in itsoriginal position in the sole by connections at either side. A pair of tapering tabs 18 are outlined at the root of the tongue 14 and upon either side thereof by transverse oblique cuts 17 extending inward- 1y from the margin of the heel-seat and through the lower surface of the sole but not extending completely to the root of the tongue so as to sever cleanly the trimming 16.

The cuts 17 are alsoinclined transversely so that thetabs 18 taper inwardly to a feather at their inner edges. I

A sole prepared in the manner herein described, having its heel-seat outlined for conformity to awood. heel but with no material oremoved, as already stated, constitutes one feature of our invention and may be used to 7 good advantage incarrying out our novel method of shoemaking.

Having carried out the stock fitting operation above set forth \in preparing the unattached sole, itis ready to be placed upon the last and attached to the lasted upper 20. The sole is herein shown as comprising part .of a shoe made with a nailed heelseat, al-

though the sole might well be fastened in any mannerdesired. The lasting, sole attaching and heel-seat fastening operations may be carried out without departure from the accepted commercial shoemaking practice.

In Fig. 2, a shoe is represented as in condition for the leveling operation, the sole having been attached to the lasted upper and the flap. 12, the tapering tabs 18 and the trimming 16 all being undisturbed and occupying their original position in the sole.

The leveling roll 30 travels back and forth .upon the shoe bottom with a tipping action,

exerting a heavyrolling pressure thereon and conforming the'sole to the curved shape of the last bottom. It is particularly important in this operation to form theedges of the sole 10 in the shank portion of the shoe into accurate conformity with the longitudinally concave and transversely convex curvature of the last at this point, so as to secure the close, well-shaped edge particularly prized in fine shoemaking. The attainment of this result is facilitated by including the entire heel-seat of the shoe bottom in the leveling operation. An accurately shaped and well compacted heel-seat is desired and this is also secured as a result of a leveling operation carried out in the manner set forth.

The sole is tempered for the leveling bperation, so that its material is in a particularly delicate condition. If the leveling operation were attempted with the flap 12 unsupported by the marginal trimming 16, the impression of the heel-seat fastenings and of the shape of the tongue 14 would be impressed and moulded into the'fiap or, in the case of a. nailed heel-seat, the heads of the attaching nails are likely to be forced through the flap so that its smooth surface becomes lost and the appearance ofthe heel breast greatly impaired All this is avoided in practicing the method of our invention because the material of the trimming 16 acts as a cushion to support and protect the flap from receiving any disfiguring impression. The effect of the leveling operation upon the flap 12 is merely to curve it smoothly to the last bottom or the concave curvature of the leveling roll, and this treatment facilitates the subsequent fitting of the flap to the curved breast surface of the heel.

At the conclusion of the leveling operation, the flap 12 is lifted and the marginal trim- Ining16completely severed by a slight cutting operation extending inwardly the cuts 17. The trimming 16 is then completely removed, exposing the reduced beveled-edge tongue 14 and the tapering tabs 18 at either side thereof, as shownin Fig. 3. The shoe is now ready for the reception of the wood heel, whlch is located longitudinally so that its rear curved contour merges into the curvature of the counter. Its breast edge is pushed under the tapering tabs 18 the requisite distance and the tongue 14 is received within the cup of its heel-seat surface, the flap 12 being applied to the breast face of the heel.

In Fig. 4, the heel 24 is shown as attached with the tabs 18 curved against its breast surface and the flap 12 covering the tabs, forming a smooth curve merging into the shank of the shoe and the breast surface of the heel.

The terms outline and set ofi are used herein as covering any manner of identifying the material to'be eventually removed by severing from the heel seat portion of the .sole, as by marking, scoring or stamping with or without partially or slashing.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. That improvement in methods of shoesevering, slitting making characterized by performing such a cutting operation on an unattached sole as to substantially completely fit the heel-seat thereof for the reception of a heel, attach ng the fitted sole to the lasted upper, leveling the shoe bottom, and after the leveling operation removing from the heel-seat the material previously cut.

2. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by forming in the heelseat of an unattached sole a partially detached trimming incorporating the sole in a shoe, leveling the sole including the heelseat thereof, and then removing said trimming.

3. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by forming in the heelseat of an unattached sole a horseshoe-shaped trimming attached at its ends to the sole, incorporating the sole in a shoe, leveling the sole including the heel-seat thereof, and then separating the trimming from the sole.

4. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by reducing the heelseat end of an unattached sole to fit the cup of a wood heel but leaving in place all the sole material set oflt in the reducing operation, attaching the sole to the shoe bottom. leveling the shoe bottom with said materlal in its original position in the sole, and then removing said material from the heel-seat.

5. That improvement in methods of shoe- I making characterized by splitting a flap or leaf in the heel-seat end of a sole which re 1 mains attached to the sole at its breast edge,

levelin the shoebottom with the flap in originfi place upon the sole, and then turning up the flap and attaching a wood heel to the sole.

6. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by splitting a flap in the heel-seat of a sole, outlining a marginal trimming in the portion of the sole beneath the flap, leveling the shoe bottom with the flap covering the trimming-detaching the trimming, attaching a wood heel to the trimmed portion of the sole, and laymg the flap against the breast surface of the heel.

7. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by setting off thematerial of a sole end so as to outhne a pair of tapering tabs at the breast line of the heelseat, leveling the shoe bottom with the material in place, andthen detachmg the set-off material to expose the tabs. I

8. That improvement 1n methods of shoemaking characterized b setting off the material at-the rear end 0 a sole so as to form a reduced ton e flanked by taperin tabs, leveling the s oe bottom, and then etaching the set-ofi material to expose the tongue and tabs.

9. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by cutting a curved v marginal trimming in the heel-seat of a sole, partially detaching the trimming by oblique cuts outlining tapering tabs, attaching the sole to a lasted upper, leveling the shoe bottom, and then completely detaching the trimming to expose a completely fitted heel-seat with adjacent tapering tabs.

10. That improvement in methods of shoemaking characterized by splitting a flap from the outer surface of the heel-seat of a sole, reducing the sole beneath the flap to constitute a tongue, attaching the sole to a lasted upper, and leveling the shoe bottom with a cushion beneath the margin of the flap to protect the latter from the impression of the heel-seat fastenings.

11. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in fitting an unattached sole for the reception of a wood heel by cutting the peripheral margin of the heelseat portion of the sole nearly away,the portion cut away remaining attached to the sole by readily severable connections, attaching the sole to a shoe, leveling the shoe including the portion of' the shank adjacent to. the breastline of the heel, then severing the portions to be removed from the fitted heel-seat portion, and attaching a heel.

12. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in fitting an unattached sole for the reception of a wood heel by outline cutting a horseshoe-shaped trimming in the heel-seat portion of the sole, partially butting the, trimming by outline cutting tabs tapering from their bases and their outer edges to a feather at their inner edges and rearward ends, incorporating the sole in a shoe, leveling the heel-seat portion of the sole, and completing the butting cut to detach the trimming.

13. A sole having a curved marginal trimming outlined in its heel-seat with transverse oblique cuts so located as partially to detach the trimming and to outline tapering tabs integral with the sole at the breast line of its heel-seat. I

14. A sole havinga bevel-edged tongue outlined in its heel-seat and transverse cuts extending from the margin of the sole inwardly toward the tongue, partially detaching the material outside the ton ue.

15. A sole havin a ap split from the grain side of its hee -seat', a curved marginal trimming outlined in the portion beneath the flap, and transverse cuts extending obliquely partially through the opposite sides of the trimming, partially detaching the same and outlining tabs tapering substantially from their bases and their outer edges to a feather. at their inner edges and rearward ends.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification. I

WILLIAM RODERICK BARCLAY.

FRED RICKS. 

